I've Got You

I love hearing that...don't you?  I was walking back into my dorm building the other day and someone was holding the door..."Come on in, I've got you." It's that feeling of assurance.  I remember walking up the stairs, thinking...that's quite possibly one of my favorite phrases.

It's even better when it comes out of His mouth.  Life is just plain crazy. It's busy. It's messy. It's not what I expected it to be this year at Nova.  It's not how I envisioned it playing out.  But, what's so wrong about that?

Pastor Don McClure spoke this weekend at Calvary Chapel on Abraham's willingness and faith to sacrifice Issac.  I have to admit..when he said Genesis 22 and started talking about the story, I was thinking, "Oh, another sermon on sacrifice.  I've heard this before."  I couldn't have been more wrong.  Doesn't it consistently amuse you that God can take something you've heard 1,000 times over and make it fresh and new? 

Pastor Don said Abraham went out in faith when he left his country.  He stayed out in faith, even when the going got tough.  But, the ultimate test- 50 years into his journey with Christ- was when he was asked to sacrifice his son.  God asks us, "Am I more precious than any promise I've ever given?"  Ouch. 

God says He loves me.  Yes, I praise you, God!  God says He forgives me of my sin.  Yes, I praise you, God!  God says He will provide all I need.  Yes, I praise you, God!  He says He is preparing a place for me for eternity.  Praise God!  He says He will fight my battles for me.  Praise God!  He says He will hear me and answer my prayers.  Praise Him!  He says He wants to know what I will do for Him....



Do I love Him because of who He is, or because of what He does?  I never want to be a person with what I call a "Medicine Bottle God."  Take Him when you need Him, but when you're feeling fine, just forget about Him.  No.  But, what am I willing to give?  Everything I have in this world?  My most precious promises?  Give all that up in immediate obedience?  I pray that is my response to anything He asks of me. 

1 John 4:15-16 says, "Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life- is not of the Father, but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." 

God has reassured me time and time again with those sweet words- "I've got you." He's blessed me with blessings I come nowhere near close to deserving.  Yet, when He asks me what I will sacrifice, my mind doesn't go to the thing that will cost me the most.  There's lots of growing left for this girl, because my mind goes to something manageable, something I think I can give to Him that won't cost too, too much.  Yes, God, I'm willing to sacrifice...a little sleep.  a little money.  a little food.  Really?  A little?  Is it really a sacrifice, then?

Psalm 27 encouraged me this morning.


4 One thing I have desired of the LORD,

That will I seek: (It takes a seeking, determined, committed heart...)
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD, (though that's an impossible task!)
And to inquire in His temple.


5 For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.  (Did you catch those promises?)


6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; (See the sacrifice?  A joful one, at that!)
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. 


8 When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.” (See the desire of his heart?)

13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed

That I would see the goodness of the LORD (See the eternal focus?  Where does his help come from?)
In the land of the living. 


14 Wait on the LORD;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD! (Hear the excitement in his testimony?  I can just see David saying...Wait, I dare you!  See what my God will do!)

I once heard a pastor say, "Sometimes the most active and agressive step of faith you can take is to patiently wait." I feel like I'm somewhere in between Abraham's second and third stage.  God's asking me to stay out in faith.  Staying out is harder than going out, because staying out requires adjustment when your expectations aren't met.  Staying out requires a steadfast heart that's willing to wait, after all the excitement and newness has worn off.  But, I also feel like God is asking me now...Okay, Chelsea. You've been walking with me for a while, and I've shown you time and time again testimonies of my faithfulness.  We've done the whole step-out-on-faith-and-watch-Me-move-mountains-and-do-a lot-with-your-little.  We've done the whole mountain top experience thing.  I've lavishly demonstrated my grace, my mercy, my unconditional love, my holiness to you.  How do you reflect that? 

Too often I forget that I have the privilege of encountering a holy, holy God who has no obligation to reveal even a glimpse of His glory.  Even if He did nothing for me but create me, He would be worthy of my praise because that's just who He is.  He's worthy.  But, the fact is that He chooses to not only reveal Himself, but reveal Himself in a personal and intimate way.  He chooses to speak directly to me....to me!  He witholds NOTHING.  So, why do I hold onto the things that don't even matter in the end?

"I've got you," He says.  The question is not a matter of God's forgiveness and love, but of my faithfulness and commitment. "I've got you," He says, "but, do you have me?"

Then Who Could Ever Stop Us?

Well, the end is near. In fact, it’s only two days away. I still can’t get over how fast it went by, now that I’m looking back at all that God has done since I’ve been in Brazil. When we first got here, the interns were trying to explain to us how it would all seem like one long week- almost like a dream. At first, I dismissed them as crazy, but now I know exactly what they’re talking about!


This week is our “sending off” week, where we are being prepared and equipped to go out into the world and preach Jesus. How appropriate that we are studying the book of Acts. It is filled with stories of imperfect people, delighting the heart of God, by doing acts of ministry through the power of His Spirit. And, that’s what each of us is called to do. I think we have a tendency to forget that- at least I do. My purpose on earth is to glorify God by doing works through His Spirit. Just doing good works doesn’t cut it.

Pastor Chet said today…so what if you built a house? If you built a house for someone and didn’t preach Jesus along the way and plant seeds, it’s all worthless because they’re still going to hell! Too often, the church gets focused on social work and not on preaching Christ. The social work is to open a door for preaching Christ- we don’t do it just to do it. We do these acts of service to share the love of Christ with others. We get so busy doing that we forget why we do what we do.

And, I try it all on my own. What Christ calls us to do, the way He calls us to live, is impossible in my own strength. I struggle and strive until I finally rely on Him to do what He said He would do from the beginning.

Instead, I want to be known for a reputation of faith. You see, in Acts 9:30, Saul is sent to Tarsus after his conversion. He is sent away for a time of spiritual growth and building. He had a reputation of cruelty for Christians, but it would become a reputation of love for Christ. This short season of time, Paul was invested into, and he was set apart to pursue God and prepare for ministry. In the same way, God “exiled me” to the “island of Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:9).

I was too puffed up with me, too full of myself, and God had no room. I could ask God to fill me all I want, but if there isn’t any room, He won’t come in. These three months have broken me and shown me just how far off the radar I am when it comes to my faith in Christ. Praise God for His grace and mercy! He didn’t give up on me, instead, He called me to Patmos to rebuild on a firm foundation. 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 says, “We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But, whoever loves God, this one is known by Him.” I thought I knew it all. In reality, I knew nothing, because I didn’t build upon love.

No matter what I do, it must be rooted in the love of Jesus Christ. My motivations were off, my heart was prideful, and I thought it was okay. It definitely wasn’t. “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). I don’t know about you, but the words “abhor” and “cling” sound like strong action words to me. Whatever is not of God, I must hate. I must cast it as far away from me as possible. And whatever is of God, that, I must cling to with every last ounce of energy that I have in my body. Those are two polar opposites, and one cannot be done with the other.

There’s no more riding the fence. Paul knew the Scriptures, but he didn’t live them. His conversion and time in Tarsus built him up so that in Acts 11, Barnabus (“the son of encouragement”) sought Paul “that for a whole year they assembled with the church AND TAUGHT a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians” (Acts 11:26). After Paul learned, he spread the knowledge and the Word. He taught others the revelations that God spoke to Him in His time of seclusion. That’s what God has also called me to do.

I have been built up, not for my own edification, but for the edification of the body. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my team here at Patmos, it’s that we need each other to survive. It’s the same with the body of Christ. We all have to show up, and we all have to contribute our gifts and talents.

“4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” (Romans 12:4-8)

In this way, we fulfill what Christ calls us to do at the beginning of Romans, chapter 12: “present your bodies a living sacrifice” (v. 1). “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) If we aren’t ours in the first place, why do we still live as if we are?

The tide has changed, and I pray that God will continue to keep my heart set steadfastly on pursuing Him and Him alone. It’s not that He will fail in His promises, it’s that I might fail in my responsibility. If I seek Him, He will be there. But, I must purpose to seek Him above all, regardless of the circumstances and situations that surround me. I must “set my face like a flint, and know that I will not be ashamed. He is near who justifies me; who will contend with me? Let us stand together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near me.” (Isaiah 50:7-8).

“And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us, and if our God is with us, then what can stand against?”